Looking for a no-cost, no-questions-asked way to get those expired pills and cough syrups out of your home? Mark your calendar for April 27 because from 10 am to 2 pm, the Cedar Hill Police are gearing up to host this season's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event at the local Walgreens on 501 E. Belt Line Road. Described as a community service aimed at curbing the misuse of medications, and as the spring sun warms, it's the perfect time for a medicine cabinet cleanse.

Cedar Hill residents are encouraged to sift through their shelves to gather up any unneeded or outdated prescriptions and bring them down to the drop-off site, where anonymity is guaranteed, and the process is streamlined for ease. However, according to the Cedar Hill Police Department, the event can't accept everything: watch out for sharps such as needles and syringes, aerosol cans chemicals lotions other medical devices, and a host of hazardous materials that aren't on the welcome list.

Safety and prevention are at the heart of this initiative, providing a responsible means to dispose of potentially dangerous drugs that could otherwise find their way into the wrong hands—or worse, the water supply. With the opioid epidemic still a pressing health crisis nationwide, these take-back events play a small but significant part in preventing addiction and drug abuse stemming from leftover meds lurking in bathroom cabinets.

The Drug Enforcement Administration spearheads this #TakeBackDay, a national effort that has seen a mighty turnout in past years; since its inception, a jaw-dropping sum of 15.5 million pounds of prescription drugs have been collected by the DEA last year sources say—and with the epidemic not letting up, events like this can make a tangible difference in the collective health of a community, the Cedar Hill PD is poised to contribute to that narrative come April 27.